Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

SCI Name:  Polioptila melanura
Protonym:  Polioptila melanura Ann.Lyc.Nat.Hist.N.Y. 6 p.168
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Polioptilidae / Polioptila
Taxonomy Code:  bktgna
Type Locality:  Texas [= Rio Grande Valley].
Author:  Lawrence
Publish Year:  1856
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

POLIOPTILA
(Polioptilidae; Ϯ Blue-grey Gnatcatcher P. caerulea) Gr. πολιος polios  grey; πτιλον ptilon  plumage; "The genus Culicivora (as established by Mr. Swainson in the Zoological Journal for 1827) has the Muscicapa stenura of Temminck for its type, but embraces also the Muscicapa cærulea of Wilson and its affines.  Now these birds belong in reality to two very different groups; the M. stenura being a Tyrannine, while the M. cærulea can hardly be placed within the limits of that family, but must be arranged either with the old-world Muscicapines (as in Bonaparte's Conspectus) or with the Sylvians (asin Gray's Genera of Birds).  Dr. Cabanis in his Ornithologische Notizen, in Wiegmann's Archiv, has rightly separated these two forms, but has unfortunately chosen to call the M. cærulea and its allies Culicivora, and made a new name Hapalura for the M. stenura—the true Culicivora of Swainson.  Under these circumstances Hapalura is a mere useless synonym of Culicivora, Sw., and a new name is required for the group containing M. cærulea, and commonly known as Culicivora.  I therefore propose for it the term Polioptila, from the general grey colouring of the plumage.  The species of this genus that I am at present acquainted with are the following:—   1. POLIOPTILA CÆRULEA (Linn.).   ...   2. POLIOPTILA DUMICOLA (Vieill.).   ...   3. POLIOPTILA LEUCOGASTRA (Max.).   ...   4. POLIOPTILA BILINEATA (Licht.)." (P. Sclater 1855); "Polioptila Sclater, 1855, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 23, p. 11. Type, by subsequent designation (Baird, 1864, Rev. Amer. Birds, 1, p. 67), Motacilla caerulea Linnaeus." (Paynter in Peters 1964, X, 448).

polioptila / polioptilus
Gr. πολιος polios grey; πτιλον ptilon plumage.

melanura
Gr. μελανουρος melanouros  with a black tail  < μελας melas, μελανος  melanos  black; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Cinereous Fulmar” of Latham 1785 (syn. Adamastor cinerea).
● ex “Mocking Creeper” of Latham 1782 (Anthornis).
● ex “Gros-bec de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Grey-necked Grosbeak” of Latham 1783 (syn. Eophona migratoria).

MENURA
(Menuridae; Ϯ Superb Lyrebird M. novaehollandiae) Gr. μηνη mēnē  moon; ουρα oura  tail. Latham gave the name “New Holland Menura” to the Australian Superb Lyrebird because of the numerous transparent lunules contained in the broad inner webs of the outer tail-feathers (cf. "Mηνη, a screen or umbrella, ουρα, a tail" (Ashmolean 1836)); "GENUS LIII. MENURA   ...   Rectrices elongatæ pinnulis distinctis, intermediæ duæ longiores angustæ, exteriores ad apicem patulæ revolutæ   ...   M. N. Hollandiæ. New Holland Menura   ...   rectrices prælongæ, scapis a basi ad medium binis, pinnulis disjunctis distantibus; intermediæ 2 angustæ albidæ longissimæ; exteriores basi modicæ, versus apicem revolutæ, pinnulis interioribus multo latioribus lunulis diaphanis ferrugineis, apice nigræ" (Latham 1802); "Menura Latham, 1801, Index Ornith., suppl., p. 61. Type, by monotypy, Menura novaehollandiae Latham." (Mayr in Peters 1979, VIII, 333). 
Var. Maenura, Melanura.
Synon. Harriwhitea, Lyriferi, Parkinsonius.

SUBSPECIES

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (lucida)
SCI Name: Polioptila melanura lucida
lucida
L. lucidus clear, bright < lux, lucis light.

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (melanura)
SCI Name: Polioptila melanura melanura
melanura
Gr. μελανουρος melanouros  with a black tail  < μελας melas, μελανος  melanos  black; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Cinereous Fulmar” of Latham 1785 (syn. Adamastor cinerea).
● ex “Mocking Creeper” of Latham 1782 (Anthornis).
● ex “Gros-bec de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Grey-necked Grosbeak” of Latham 1783 (syn. Eophona migratoria).

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (curtata)
SCI Name: Polioptila melanura curtata
curtata / curtatus
L. curtatus  shortened, abbreviated  < curtare  to shorten  < curtus  short.